Category: News

Closing Thought–20Jan22

The stupidity has started already around the upcoming 2024 elections….right wing moronic ideas have lit a match for the 2024 elections….

Some of the more sillier ideas these slugs are promoting…..

A Biden-Trump rematch seems like a plausible bet for the 2024 race. And while a Trump candidacy isn’t a sure thing, headlines have surfaced recently suggesting that just as much uncertainty dogs the Democratic side. Examples:

  • Clinton again? An op-ed in the Wall Street Journal lays out a scenario in which Hillary Clinton would once again run for president. “Several circumstances—President Biden’s low approval rating, doubts over his capacity to run for re-election at 82, Vice President Kamala Harris’ unpopularity, and the absence of another strong Democrat to lead the ticket in 2024—have created a leadership vacuum in the party, which Mrs. Clinton viably could fill,” write Douglas E. Schoen and Andrew Stein.
  • No Harris? In the New York Times, Thomas Friedman makes the case for what would be another startling Democratic ticket: Biden-Cheney. As in, Republican Rep. Liz Cheney. Friedman argues that we’re in dire political times and in need of unprecedented action, and he draws a parallel to what recently happened in Israel. He quotes political scientist Steven Levitsky: “We should be ready to talk about Liz Cheney as part of a blow-your-mind Israeli-style fusion coalition with Democrats. It is a coalition that says: ‘There is only one overriding goal right now—that is saving our democratic system.'”
  • Um, no: At CNN, Chris Cillizza runs through the idea of Clinton running in 2024 and offers a point-by-point rebuttal. For example, the op-ed authors argue that Clinton has the perfect experience for the job, but “isn’t that what voters chose the current president for?” he asks. “Yes, yes it is. And while Clinton and Biden are not carbon copies of one another, their relevant experience is remarkably similar—long careers in the public policy space in Washington.” He points out that Clinton already has lost twice even with her long resume, and he doesn’t buy the idea that she’s sending signals that she’d be willing to run.
  • Um, no, II: At the Intelligencer blog, Ed Kiglore throws similar cold water on the Cheney idea. “Democrats are very likely to say thanks, but no thanks, to Friedman for the idea of submitting their party to some sort of unwieldy and unnatural coalition of national salvation, so long as there is the slightest hope of beating Trump the old-fashioned way,” he writes. Cheney does indeed deserve “great respect” for how she has defied Trump, and maybe something like an ambassadorship is a fitting reward should Biden win again. “But she has no business being at the top of the line of succession to a Democratic president.”
  • Or maybe … As long as people are tossing out wild ideas, the Fix blog of the Washington Post pitches some “far-fetched sleeper tickets” of its own. Some examples: Biden and Mary Trump, Michelle and Barack Obama, Biden and Dick Cheney, or Biden with Republican Govs. Larry Hogan of Maryland, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, or Phil Scott of Vermont.

I am sure this is not the total extent of the stupidity that will be spread….but it had to start somewhere…..and here it is.

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“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–18Jan22

Will SCOTUS help legalize bribery?

Sen. Ted Cruz is doing his best to see that the court does just that.

The details of Federal Election Commission v. Ted Cruz for Senate, a case that the Supreme Court will hear next Wednesday, read more like a paranoid fantasy dreamed up by leftists than like an actual lawsuit.

The case concerns federal campaign finance laws, and, specifically, candidates’ ability to loan money to their campaigns. Candidates can do so — but in 2001, Congress enacted a provision that helps prevent such loans from becoming a vehicle to bribe candidates who go on to be elected officials. Under this provision, a campaign that receives such a loan may not repay more than $250,000 worth of the loan using funds raised after the election.

When a campaign receives a pre-election donation, that donation is typically subject to strict rules preventing it from being spent to enrich the candidate. After the election has occurred, however, donors who give money to help pay off a loan from the candidate effectively funnel that money straight to the candidate — who by that point could be a powerful elected official.

A lawmaker with sufficiently clever accountants, moreover, could effectively structure such a loan to allow lobbyists and other donors to help the lawmaker directly profit from it. According to the Los Angeles Times, for example, in 1998, Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) made a $150,000 loan to her campaign at 18 percent interest (though she later reduced that interest rate to 10 percent). As of 2009, Napolitano reportedly raised $221,780 to repay that loan — $158,000 of which was classified as “interest.”

So in 11 years, the loan reportedly earned Napolitano nearly $72,000 in profits.

https://www.vox.com/2022/1/12/22877010/supreme-court-ted-cruz-fec-campaign-finance-bribery-loan

Still a mystery on how this case will go….but knowing the track record of the Robert’s Court I am not optimistic.

Maybe now would be a good time to take on the corruption and bribery committed by lobbyists and their corporate puppet masters.

Just a passing thought on my part.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Insurrection Update #23

This is my series watching and reporting on the aftermath of the 06 January failed coup by Trumpites…..

Finally!  Someone is being charged with sedition!

A big development in the investigation of the Capitol riot: Prosecutors filed their first charge of sedition on Thursday, reports the New York Times. Authorities indicted and arrested Stewart Rhodes, the 56-year-old founder of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers. The charge of seditious conspiracy alleges that Rhodes conspired with others to overturn the results of the 2020 election and take control of the Capitol. The AP calls Rhodes the highest-ranking member of any extremist group to be arrested so far. Rhodes was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but he says he never entered the building, and no evidence has surfaced to contradict that.

Rhodes previously told the Washington Post that he was communicating with members of his group that day, but only to try to “keep them out of trouble.” He added that any members of his group who entered the building “went totally off mission.” He made similar comments to the Times over the summer, saying, “There were zero instructions from me or leadership to do so.” Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper who went on to earn a law degree from Yale, was charged Thursday with about a dozen associates.

Among the allegations against Rhodes:

  • On Election Day, he allegedly urged Oath Keeper members to “stock up on ammo” and be ready for a “full-on war in the streets,” according to a letter by House investigators.
  • During an online meeting shortly after the election, he allegedly said, “You can call it an insurrection or you can call it a war or fight,” per the Times.
  • He told Alex Jones days after the election that he had men near Washington poised to act on then-President Trump’s command.
  • He said at a Trump rally in December that failure to invoke the Insurrection Act would lead to a “much more bloody war.”
  • Two days before the riot, he allegedly posted an online article urging “all patriots” to “stand tall in support of President Trump’s fight to defeat the enemies foreign and domestic who are attempting a coup.”

About damn time!

Now roast his ass!

But wait!  He has an eye patch….does anyone know how he got his wound?

He was a gun instructor and he dropped his handgun and shot his eye out.  I cannot make this up!

The insurrection of 06 January caught the Capitol police flat footed….and ever since the same question keeps popping up…..how did this happen?

There is some news on this front….

Intelligence reports compiled by the US Capitol Police in the days before last year’s insurrection envisioned only an improbable or remote risk of violence, even as other assessments warned that tens of thousands of pro-Trump demonstrators could converge in Washington to create a dangerous situation. The documents, obtained by the AP, underscore the muddled intelligence that circulated to Capitol Police officers ahead of the Jan. 6 riot, when thousands of Donald Trump loyalists swarmed the Capitol complex and clashed violently with law enforcement officers in their effort to disrupt the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The intelligence reports in particular show how the police agency for days grievously underestimated the prospect of chaotic violence and disruptions, the AP reports. The daily intelligence reports have been discussed in congressional testimony and summarized in a Senate report. But the AP on Friday evening obtained full versions of the documents for Jan. 4, 5, and 6. On each of the three days, the Capitol Police ranked as “highly improbable” the possibility of acts of civil disobedience and arrests arising from the “Stop the Steal” protest planned for the Capitol. The event and nearly two dozen others were ranked on a scale of “remote” to “nearly certain” on the likelihood of major disruptions. All were rated as either “remote,” “highly improbable,” or “improbable,” the documents show.

Those optimistic forecasts are tough to square with other intelligence assessments compiled by Capitol Police in late December and early January. Those documents, also obtained by AP, warned that crowds could number in the tens of thousands and include extremist groups like the Proud Boys. A Jan. 3, 2021, memo, for instance, warned of a “significantly dangerous situation for law enforcement and the general public alike.” A Dec. 21, 2020, assessment showed that people were researching the tunnels under the Capitol—typically used by members of Congress and staff—on public websites. Adding to the mixed intelligence portrait is a Jan. 5 bulletin from the FBI’s Norfolk field office that warned of the potential for “war” at the Capitol. Top Capitol Police leaders have said they were unaware of that document.

It still amazing that after over a year since the attack and the GOP still cannot support any actions to prevent or understand why the failed coup occurred…..

Historically, Americans haven’t disagreed on the seriousness of national tragedies — think Sept. 11, 2001. But that’s not the case with the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Yes, one year later, more than 70 percent of Americans still regard Jan. 6 as a bad or tragic day for America, including 60 percent of Republicans, but there is still a stark partisan divide on more specific aspects of the Jan. 6 attack that shows many Republicans still minimize its importance. 

For instance, even though an average of 63 percent of Americans across four recent polls1 supported the congressional investigation into the day’s events, an average of 59 percent of Republicans opposed it. In the same vein, 56 percent of respondents to a YouGov/University of Massachusetts poll from Dec. 14-20 thought it was important that we learn more about what happened on Jan. 6, but 75 percent of Republicans said that it was time to move on.

Republicans also tend to use kinder language to describe the events of Jan. 6 and its participants. For example, YouGov/the University of Massachusetts found that 62 percent of Republicans used the word “protesters” to describe the people who broke into the Capitol, while only 31 percent called them “rioters” and 10 percent called them “insurrectionists.” An above-average 26 percent even called them “patriots.” 

Why Republicans Take Jan. 6 Less Seriously Than Other Americans

 Social media is doing their part to help identify and capture those treasonous bastards that participated in the coup….

A few days after the Capitol insurrection last January, the FBI got two tips identifying an Ohio man named Walter Messer as a participant, and both cited his social media posts about being there. To verify those tips, the FBI turned to three companies that held a large amount of damning evidence against Messer, simply as a result of his normal use of their services: AT&T, Facebook, and Google.

AT&T gave the FBI Messer’s telephone number and a list of cell sites he used, including one that covered the US Capitol building at the time of the insurrection, per the criminal complaint against Messer. Facebook told the FBI that the phone number provided by AT&T was linked to Messer’s Facebook account, where he posted several selfies from inside the Capitol during the riot.

Google gave the FBI precise location data showing Messer’s journey from Ohio to DC and back again between January 5 and 7, as well as his location on the afternoon of January 6 as he wandered around and ultimately inside the Capitol building. The complaint also lists videos of the riot posted on Messer’s YouTube channel, Messer’s YouTube searches, internet searches, and emails from his Gmail account — all used to help build a case against him.

Finally one of the defendants that lashed out at police has his day in court….

https://www.vox.com/recode/22867000/january-6-fbi-search-facebook-google-insurrection

I am pleased to see at least someone is acting responsibly……

And Facebook post is what one insurrectionist used to brag about his actions…..and now he is pissed off…..

Tim Boughner, 41, who is accused of pepper spraying and assaulting police on Jan. 6, 2021, during the riot at the U.S. Capitol, lashed out and left a detention proceeding on Wednesday after the judge ruled that he would stay behind bars, Law&Crime reports.

Prosecutors say Boughner used chemical spray on police multiple times as he stood at the front lines of the riot. He later bragged on Facebook that he “f***ed those cops up.”

During the hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui stated that he believed Boughner was a flight risk and a danger to the community, and cited his actions on Jan. 6 and his subsequent social media activity.

“You got these dumb*ss comments that you’re saying I said but I did not say these things,” Boughner shouted. “Do we really have to go through all this?”

https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-rioter-tim-boughner/

Yet another whiny ass slug that is pouty that he was dumb enough to brag and then got busted…..

I will continue to watch the proceedings against the insurrectionists….

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“lego ergo scribo”

Pope Makes My List

It is no secret that I have little use for organized religion….all of them….and now I can add the Pope to my list that I keep on a roll of toilet paper…..

These so-called pastors need to worry about people’s souls and stay out of their personal lives and decisions.

What got me fired up was something the Pope had to say about people with pets.

Pope Francis isn’t happy with people who forego having children and opt for pets instead. While discussing parenthood at the Vatican, Francis called the idea of being childless “a form of selfishness,” per AFP. “We see that some people do not want to have a child,” said the pontiff. “Sometimes they have one and that’s it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh but it is a reality.” And in his view, it’s a damaging reality because it amounts to “a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us, takes away our humanity.”

It’s not the first time Francis has spoken out on the issue, declaring in 2014 that the idea of couples having a dog or cat instead of a child is “another phenomenon of cultural degradation.” For those who cannot have biological children, Francis encouraged adoption and used the example of Joseph, presented in the Bible as the “foster-father” of Jesus, per Vatican News. “Having a child is always a risk, whether naturally or by adoption,” he said. “But it is more risky not to have them, to negate fatherhood or motherhood, be it real or spiritual.”

Seriously?

He tries to blame pets for the problems the Church is having.

Apparently he worries that fewer children would mean less money flowing into the church coffers.

I do not trust a dude in a funny hat and dress…..I trust my friend MoMo a thousand times more than some priest.

Turn The Page!

Enjoy your Sunday….Be Well and Be Safe….

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–14Jan22

The problems return.

Have you noticed at your favorite supermarket that there seems to be fewer and fewer items on the shelves?

Well the culprit at least according to the ‘official’ sources are pandemic, weather and the food chain…..

Benjamin Whitely headed to a Safeway supermarket in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to grab some items for dinner. But he was disappointed to find the vegetable bins barren and a sparse selection of turkey, chicken, and milk. “Seems like I missed out on everything,” Whitely, 67, said. “I’m going to have to hunt around for stuff now.” Shortages at US grocery stores have grown more acute in recent weeks as new problems—like the fast-spreading omicron variant and severe weather—have piled on to the supply chain struggles and labor shortages that have plagued retailers since the coronavirus pandemic began, the AP reports. The shortages are widespread, impacting produce and meat as well as packaged goods such as cereal.

And they’re being reported nationwide. US groceries typically have 5% to 10% of their items out of stock at any given time; right now, that unavailability rate is hovering around 15%, according to Consumer Brands Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. Part of the scarcity consumers are seeing on store shelves is due to pandemic trends that never abated—and are exacerbated by omicron. Americans are eating at home more than they used to, especially since offices and some schools remain closed, and are thus buying more at the grocery store. A historically high deficit of truck drivers that started building before the pandemic also remains a problem. And shipping remains delayed, impacting everything from imported foods to packaging that is printed overseas.

The omicron variant has also taken a toll on food production lines. Sean Connolly, the president and CEO of Conagra Brands, which makes Birds Eye frozen vegetables, Slim Jim meat snacks and other products, told investors last week that supplies from the company’s US plants will be constrained for at least the next month due to omicron-related absences. Worker illness is also impacting grocery stores. Stew Leonard Jr. is president and CEO of Stew Leonard’s, a supermarket chain that operates stores in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Last week, 8% of his workers—around 200 people—were either out sick or in quarantine. Usually, the level of absenteeism is more like 2%. And weather-related events, from snowstorms in the Northeast to wildfires in Colorado, also have impacted product availability and caused some shoppers to stock up more than usual.

I know let’s blame the workers, the drivers, etc…and the weather is a convenient culprit as well…..

Inflation is on the rise for the consumer…..

Prices paid by US consumers jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, gas, rent, and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households, reports the AP. The Wall Street Journal reports this is the third consecutive month where inflation has topped 6%. What’s known as the core price index, which doesn’t take into account food and energy, was up 5.5% in December over the prior year. That tops November’s 4.9% and marks the highest rate since 1991.

Not to worry food costs still soar and no one is DC seems to give a crap….as long as the give some silly boring and totally ineffective speech all is well for them.

Have you had enough of the excuses?

Time for you to show you disapproval.

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“lego ergo scribo”

 

Insurrection Update #22

After the 06 January insurrection ‘justice’ is finally being handed down for those that allowed their hatred to prevail…..

A Capitol rioter convicted of assaulting police—using a fire extinguisher on officers and twice throwing the empty container at them—has received the longest sentence so far in the attack, 63 months. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan told Robert Palmer in court Friday in Washington that she’s not making an example of him, she’s sentencing him for his conduct, Axios reports. “It has to be made clear that trying to violently overthrow the government, trying to stop the peaceful transition of power, and assaulting law enforcement officers in that effort is going to be met with absolutely certain punishment,” Chutkan said.

On Jan. 6, Palmer threw a piece of wood at police and sprayed the fire extinguisher at a line of officers, prosecutors said. He then threw the extinguisher, picked it up, and threw it again, NBC reports. He next threw a metal pole at other officers and only stopped his attack when he was shot with a rubber bullet. “Those officers were so brave standing there, just taking all the stuff that people were giving them, all the taunts, all the jeers and everything,” Palmer, 54, of Tampa, told the court.

Palmer was among the first rioters to turn himself in. “I am so ashamed I was part of that. Very, very ashamed,” he said Friday. His lawyer argued the sentence should be reduced because Palmer took responsibility for his role in the attack. But after pleading guilty in October, he had posted a claim online that he’d acted in self-defense. The judge agreed with prosecutors that despite his other statements, that showed a lack of remorse. “He was still denying his culpability for the offense,” Chutkan said.

Then there are those poor souls that have had their little pathetic lives disrupted….like this drooling moron….

Accused Capitol rioter Thomas Sibick would like to be able to use dating apps while he awaits trial. An attorney for Sibick, who is on home incarceration at his parents’ home in Buffalo, NY, made the request via a motion filed Saturday asking the judge in the case to modify Sibick’s release conditions, WUSA9 reports. The 36-year-old was originally being held at a jail in Washington, DC, but in October his lawyer argued the “cult-like” group of fellow January 6 suspects being held there were likely to further radicalize his client, and the judge released him to the custody of his parents.

But she forbade him to watch political television or use social media. In the motion filed Saturday, Sibick’s attorney asks that he be allowed to attend the wake of a friend who recently died, and that he be allowed to access websites for the purposes of finding a job as well as “interact[ing] with members of the opposite gender for the purpose of establishing a friendship.” However, the judge has ordered him to be on 24-hour lockdown, so any dating or working would need to be done remotely. Sibick is accused of beating a police officer, ripping off his badge and radio. His lawyer says Sibick now sees the Capitol breach as “a disgrace to our nation” and holds former President Trump responsible, the Guardian reports.

The best I can say is boo-hoo you little turd.

Some of the insurrectionists were followers of the cult of stupid, QAnon….and since 06 January it has been reorganizing itself into a more effective unit.

It’s been more than a year since QAnon received any direction from Q, the otherwise nameless online account whose conspiracy theories the movement was built on. But QAnon appears undeterred, the New York Times reports, evolving rather than fading away like its leader. It’s so far survived Q’s disappearance, the 2020 presidential election loss, and predictions that didn’t come true. New conspiracies and predictions take hold, as evidenced by the trek hundreds made to Dallas in November to see John F. Kennedy Jr. return to life and declare himself a candidate to be former President Trump’s running mate in 2024. Many waited for weeks.

The movement hasn’t exactly gone underground, but it may have gone deeper into the nation’s political and social systems. Media Matters counts more than 40 candidates for national office in 2022 who have publicly backed QAnon, though they may have toned down the rhetoric. Omar Navarro has endorsed the lie about Hollywood moguls being child traffickers, but the California Republican said he no longer posts about QAnon, partly to avoid being kicked off social media. “I’m running a campaign for Congress,” he said, “so I need to focus on issues that matter more, like the economy or business other than” QAnon.

QAnon could be emerging more pervasive and influential. It’s “leaving behind the iconography of the Trump era and becoming a conspiracy of everything,” a conspiracy researcher said. More than ever, said Mike Rothschild, followers are free to choose their own conspiracy theories to spread. That’s what worries Jitarth Jadej, who used to be a follower. He sees a more decentralized, professionally produced organization growing, albeit largely out of sight. And he doesn’t see it collapsing soon, per Politico. Nor does Logan Strain, another conspiracy researcher. “This is something that we’re just going to have to live with in the general political world in the United States,” Strain said, “for at least a generation.”

Oh great….a generation of stupid….almost makes me glad that I will not see the demise of this country…..but I will suffer through the death throes as it slowly dies.

The parents that brought their 14 year old son to the insurrection have their day in court….

“This isn’t like a school or a tourist trip,” a judge told Virginia Spencer at her sentencing for her role in the Capitol riot. US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly told Spencer she was having a hard time understanding why she took her 14-year-old son with her on Jan. 6, 2021. Police officers and some of the rioters had weapons, the judge pointed out, CNN reports. “It must have been a traumatic experience to witness this kind of violence,” Kollar-Kotelly said. “It’s a complete lack of judgment on your part.” That was reflected in the sentence.

The North Carolina woman, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for illegally parading in the building, as well as three years’ probation, per the AP. That’s on the long end of sentences imposed so far on rioters for nonviolent misdemeanors; few of whom have received probation as well as jail time. The defense requested a year of probation with community service. Prosecutors recommended a three-month sentence plus three years’ probation; the maximum is six months in jail. Their court filings said Spencer entered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s offices and was in the mob that tried to get into the House chamber.

Spencer told the judge Friday that she was “very sorry” for her actions at the Capitol. Christopher Raphael Spencer, Spencer’s husband and the boy’s father, was with them and also was arrested. He hasn’t been tried yet, but he’s pleaded not guilty to several charges connected with the attack. So far, more than 70 people have been sentenced in the insurrection, the FBI reports, with more than 30 of them ordered to serve time.

These ‘parents” and I use the term loosely…..since the boy was a minor there should have been harsher sentences for contributing to his criminality.

I shall continue to watch the proceedings on these insurrectionists and report on as much as I can…..

This breach should NEVER be forgotten and should never happen again.

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

I Have The News

Well all the recent news you cannot possibly use…..

If it is Sunday then worthless news is all the rage.

Pythagoras it seems may have liberated some of his stuff from ancient Babylon….

Babylon was the city where some of the most influential empires of the ancient world ruled. For a long time, it was the capital of the Babylonian Empire, and was considered to be the global centre of commerce, art and learning, and is even estimated to have been the largest early city in the world — perhaps the first to reach a population of more than 200,000 people. Today, it resembles more of an archaeological excavation site in progress, and has only several thousand residents and a few villages within its boundaries.

…

At the time, researchers did not realise how important the tablet was, and it was not until 1945 that experts realised it contained Pythagorean triples

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1542785/archaeology-news-babylon-ancient-history-bbc-middle-east-bible-spt

Next we have news from the GMO front…..

Genetically modified foods are still available in grocery stores, but the process of identifying them has changed. Shoppers will no longer see labels marked “genetically engineered” or “genetically modified organisms.” Instead of “GMO” or “GE,” products will be marked “bioengineered” or include a QR code, website, or phone number for shoppers looking for more information, the Washington Post reports. The Department of Agriculture said the change is in the name of consistency, to eliminate “a patchwork of state labeling regulations.” Food safety advocates and others see confusion ahead.

“The worst part of this law is the use of the term ‘bioengineered’ because that’s not a term most consumers are familiar with,” said Gregory Jaffe, director of the biotechnology project for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. He suspects a main driver of the change is the fact that “GMO” has become pejorative to many people. Even supporters are baffled by the timing. Consumer Brands Association asked the agency to delay the new rules until the pandemic and supply chain crises are over. “We believe the government must take a ‘do no harm’ position right now that allows companies to focus on delivering essential products to consumers,” an official said.

The rules burden consumers further at a difficult time, too. The Center for Food Safety points out that more than 100 million Americans don’t have the smartphones or cell service needed to scan QR codes. Bioengineered foods aren’t a health risk, but advocates say that people who want to avoid eating them will have a tougher time deciphering labels and that the rules have loopholes. Markings such as “USDA Organic” and “NON-GMO Project Verified” still will be allowed. The USDA said it won’t conduct spot checks on the labels in stores but will act on written consumer complaints, per WLS. The Post has a primer on the changes here.

No changes to prevent the crap that passes for food thanx to GMOs….but rather just a way to confuse the consumer.

There is an alternative to burial…it is called cremation and now there is an alternative for that as well…..

On Boxing Day 2021, the world lost one of the greatest activists in its history: Desmond Tutu. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning South African theologian earned global attention for his unrivaled role in highlighting the iniquities of apartheid, continuing his work in conflict resolution right up to his 79th birthday. In one final generous gesture to the wellbeing of humanity, Tutu chose aquamation for his funeral: an eco-friendly alternative to cremation that uses liquid instead of fire to dispose of a body.

“The Archbishop was very clear on his wishes for his funeral,” News24 reports the Archbishop Tutu IP Trust and the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said. “He wanted no ostentatiousness or lavish spending. He asked that the coffin be the cheapest available and that a bouquet of carnations from his family be the only flowers in the cathedral.”

Scientists Train Goldfish To Drive On Land In Tiny Cars - IFLScience

What is aquamation?

Aquamation – also known as biocremation, resomation, flameless cremation, and water cremation – uses alkaline hydrolysis to dispose of human or animal remains. Touted as an eco-friendly alternative to cremation, it uses a heated alkaline solution to break down the body, leaving behind only the skeleton.

During aquamation, the body is placed inside a pressurized vessel filled with a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide (lye) and heated to around 90 – 150 °C (200 – 300 °F). As the container is pressurized, the solution doesn’t boil and instead gently gets to work breaking down the organic matter over several hours.

Aquamation vs cremation

Cremation is often considered an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial practices that involve costly wooden coffins and embalming chemicals. Around 1 million acres (404,685 hectares) of land in the US is dedicated to human burial, with caskets stripping around 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) of forest each year.

While cremation does away with some of this habitat degradation and destruction, it requires immense energy to fuel the fire and pumps out millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually. Among its emission is the pollutant PM10, which has been linked to depression and suicide; and PM2.5, which is associated with poorer heart and lung health plus chronic illness and birth complications.

Aquamation requires roughly one-seventh of the energy used in cremation, and produces none of the emissions. The liquid left behind after aquamation is a sterile mix of organic compounds including salts and amino acids that can either be used as a fertilizer or neutralized and safely released into waterways.

The color of the ashes also varies between aquamation and cremation, with the former resulting in around 32 percent more remains that are then dried and pulverized into a white powder.

Alternatively, you could always consider becoming compost.       

06 January–The War Of Words

Yesterday we observed the day the insurrectionists stormed the Capitol….Uncle Joe made a speech commemorating the day and the retort from Donald the Orange was inevitable…..

President Biden spoke Thursday on the one-year anniversary of the riot at the Capitol and made clear he places the blame for that day squarely on his predecessor, though he never mentioned Donald Trump by name. Trump has responded with slams of his own. Highlights:

  • Biden: “For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” said the president, per the AP. “But they failed. … Democracy was attacked … [but] we the people prevailed.”
  • Biden: “We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie,” he said, per NBC News. “A former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election. He’s done so because he values power over principle, because he sees his own interest as more important than his country’s interest and America’s interest. He can’t accept he lost.”
  • Biden: “They didn’t come here out of patriotism or principle,” said the president, referring to the rioters, per the Washington Post. “They came here in rage—not in service of America, but rather in service of one man.”
  • Biden: The president accused Trump and his supporters of “trying to rewrite history” in his speech. “They want you to see Election Day as the day of insurrection and the riot that took place here on January 6th as a true expression of the will of the people Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country, to look at America? I cannot.”
  • Trump: “Biden, who is destroying our Nation with insane policies of open Borders, corrupt Elections, disastrous energy policies, unconstitutional mandates, and devastating school closures, used my name today to try to further divide America,” Trump said in a statement. “This political theater is all just a distraction for the fact Biden has completely and totally failed.” He ticked off a number of issues, from the Afghan exit to rising inflation.
  • Trump: He called members of the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot “totally partisan political hacks” and said they should instead be investigating the “Big Lie” of the “rigged” election.
  • Trump: “The Democrats want to own this day of January 6th so they can stoke fears and divide America,” Trump said. “I say, let them have it because America sees through [their] lies and polarizations.”

Placing blame is all well and good but something needs to be done to prevent this sort of stupidity from ever happening again…..words are news making but will do little to stop this erosion of American way of life.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

News For Canine Service Humans

The new year begins….and a little FYI…..

As a proud service unit for my canine friend I am always on the lookout for news that I can pass on to other service units…..

The most important service we provide is the meals that our friends need to eat and the outlook is not too rosy…..

Supply chain issues are causing major headaches for pet owners as well as holiday shoppers. In a problem exacerbated by the rise in pet ownership during the pandemic, cat and dog owners say they are having a lot of problems locating their pet’s preferred brand, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some go to from store to store seeking the right food, others pay inflated prices to resellers online, and some have resorted to cooking for their pets themselves, though their offerings are often rejected. Wet food, which often uses imported ingredients, is in especially short supply, and some supermarkets are opting to let shelves sit empty.

Pet owners say the problem goes beyond animals being finicky—many pets have special dietary requirements, and dogs and cats often get so attached to a particular type of food that they simply won’t eat a different kind. Nashville cat owner Zachary Whitten tells the Journal that he has tried feeding pricier brands to the four cats and several strays he is looking after, but they often just take a bite or two and wander away. “Some of the cats have lost a pound or two just because they haven’t been getting consistent food,” he says. “It’s been a waking nightmare.” Aluminum shortages as well as shipping problems have contributed to shortages of canned food, USA Today reports.

The JM Smucker Company, maker of major pet food brands including Meow Mix and Kibbles ‘n Bits, told retailers last month that shipments of some products would be limited until January 2023. Reuters reports that candy makers are among the many other industries hit hard by supply chain issues and staff shortages, meaning some people shopping for the holidays are having a hard time finding candy canes. “We’re not taking new orders from new customers,” says Andrew Schuman, chief executive officer of Hammond’s, the largest US wholesale candy cane supplier. “We can’t keep up with demand.”

Be careful in the food that you prepare for your charges…..and check with your vet they should have information on any recalls and dangers to your friend…..or consult this website for any problems in the food you want to feed your friend……https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recalls/

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

2021–A Look Back

2021 was a killer of a year….

As of October 2021, 470 (of which 240 resulted in zero deaths) fit the Mass Shooting Tracker project criterion, leaving 482 people dead and 1,927 injured, for a total of 2,409 total victims, some including the shooter(s).

Now there is a stat to be proud of (sarcasm in case you missed it)

This year as it ends I would like to look back at the disasters and actions that make 2021 a terrible year.  (I know this is just a way to close out the year but it all bears repeating)

A year of illness, death, mourning, and ever-increasing political chaos on a striking, if not unparalleled, scale threatens the American system as we’ve known it.

A year of tornadoes, hurricanes, sickness. a terrible freeze and those are the things that immediately jump to mind….but there was so much more….2021 has been a year like no other…not in recent history…..

Weather seemed to be the biggest threat….worldwide…

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59761839

And yet the weather seems to be of little concern to the leaders that owe everything to those that assist in the demise of the planet.

A small look back for you to contemplate….

Oh, and just to end on a cheerier note, as 2021 wound down, the Senate, which can agree on so little, passed almost unanimously the most staggering Pentagon budget of our time. The senators, like their House colleagues, even added an additional $24 billion the Biden administration hadn’t asked for.

So, as 2021 concludes, thanks a million for… well, not much, in all honesty.

Still, let’s hope against hope that, in 2022, we humans can figure out how to refocus on what matters and on the world we genuinely care to create for our children and grandchildren. It may seem unlikely after 12 months like this, but impossible it’s not and that’s a new year’s wish worth having as 2021 finally comes to an end.

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/12/23/look-back-not-so-happy-year

Then there is our worthless Congress….they failed the people of this country on several levels…..

Voting Rights….should be a gimme but for some reason there are those that do not want to have people vote.

Police Reform….another issue that needs addressing and needs action….too many deaths at the hands of the local PDs but yet they prefer to kick this issue down the road….as usual.

Immigration Reform….what can I say….yet another hopeless cause….

If you would like more on these failures….

https://www.vox.com/22846344/democrats-build-back-better-voting-rights-immigration-manchin

A short look ahead to 2022….

I do not see much accomplished by our ‘overworked’ Congress (sarcasm in case you missed it) the perverts with the cash will see to that….after all it is an election year and everything comes to a virtual standstill as the politicians drop to their knees to perform for their cash….and sadly I do not see any progress for the Congress will return to the hands of the party of ‘NO’ (GOP)……

Is the country in the hands of the voter or in the claws of the parasites that own the Congress and government?

I think you know my answer….which is your?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”